Only one Western today, The Westerner, with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. It's a 1940 movie that's based on a story by Stuart N Lake. Several people banged away on the screenplay: Niven Busch and Jo Swerling get the credit and W R Burnett, Lillian Hellman, Dudley Nichols and Oliver La Farge are all uncredited. William Wyler is the director. I recognized some in the cast: Forrest Tucker, Chill Wills, Lilian Bond, Dana Andrews and Trevor Bardette.
Walter plays Judge Roy Bean in a story that only barely hints at his past. He did have a thing for Lilly Langtry but he didn't die the way the movie makes out. Gary is a guy who's brought into town as a horse thief. He's nearly hung but he reveals to the Judge that he has a lock of Lilly's hair. The Judge is excited and wants that lock of hair. Gary is saved when the real horse thief turns up and gets plugged by the Judge. Gary and the Judge have a night of heavy drinking and Gary leaves the next morning. He stops at a farm for water, it's run by Fred Stone and his daughter Doris Davenport. That's her with Walter and Gary up above.
The basic story is about the hatred between the cattlemen and the homesteaders. The Judge is on the side of the cattlemen and he'll kill to keep them on top. Gary sides with the homesteaders, thinking there's plenty of land to go around. Things don't go so well for the Judge in the end, especially after Fred is killed when the cattlemen's henchmen burn the corn crops.
It's a good story with a good cast, Walter Brennan won his 5th Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It was his 3rd. I was glad to watch it. I'll probably have to pick one up when I find it cheap enough.
Comments